Mental Health Care

Military life comes with challenges that sometimes require us to seek help for ourselves or our family members. Military families and service members who need assistance with deployment-related stress, relationships, or even depression have several options to seek help. These services cover preventive care, and life skill and stress management assistance through TRICARE-covered medical behavioral health counseling and treatment.

Short-Term Counseling and Assistance

Short-term nonmedical counseling is offered to service members and military families in many locations, including:

Installation family support centers

Chaplain’s office

Military hospitals or clinics

Military Family Life Consultants (either through your service member’s command or the installation)

Military families and service members also have the option of seeking free non-medical counseling from Military OneSource. Military OneSource offers 12 sessions per issue, per person of face-to-face, phone, or online counseling. Call 1.800.342.9647 to schedule an appointment.

Long-Term or Medical Mental Health Assistance

Military family members in need of long-term mental health care or who have a medically diagnosed condition can seek help from a range of provider types depending on their condition.

The TRICARE civilian network offers a wide range of mental health care services. It is important, however, to understand the requirements for accessing this benefit. Active duty service members should always seek nonemergency behavioral health care at a military hospital or clinic. If services are not available, the active duty member must obtain a referral before receiving non-emergency services.

Family members who do not seek care at their assigned military hospital or clinic or are not enrolled in TRICARE Prime in a military facility should look for a TRICARE-authorized civilian mental health care provider. Eligible family members can receive up to eight outpatient mental health care visits from a civilian provider without needing a referral. However, a referral will be required for any follow on visits. Contact your managed care support contractor to confirm coverage.

Costs for mental health care services will depend on where you choose to receive services and the TRICARE option you use to obtain care (Prime or Standard).

You can locate a TRICARE civilian network mental health care provider by calling your TRICARE Managed Care Support contractor or logging onto their website and going to their Behavioral Health Provider Locator. This service will help you find and make an appointment. The contractors' toll-free access numbers and website links are: